Projectile cap



June 5- A. F. TEITSCHEID 24@33@ PROJECTILE CAP Filed Dec, 15, 19.41

Alfred. FLTeic 5:11-51 a Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFEQE Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to projectiles and in particular to a novel windshield therefor and means for attaching the same.

According to the invention the windshield is fashioned from a non-metallic material, preferably one of the synthetic resins.

Extensive tests have shown that plastics in their present state of development are, in general, not adapted to the severe usage of ordnance materiel. It has been found, however, that a properly designed and properly attached plastic or other non-metallic windshield will withstand the shocks of firing and handling and such an item has been successfully used in projectiles of all calibers.

The non-metallic windshield or false ogive has been found especially useful in increasing the overall length of an armor piercing projectile, yet maintaining the same Weight as the explosive shell of the same caliber so that available feed mechanism designed for the less dense high explosive projectile could be used for both without modification. The cap in this case is secured to the nose of the projectile by a metal core which is threaded into the cap and brazed or soldered to the projectile. The use of low melting point solder permits attachin of the metal sleeve to the projectile without subjecting the projectile to excess heat, thereby eliminating changing of hardness characteristics of the nose which are considered essential.

The windshield is also used to advantage in a target practise projectile substantially duplicating the construction of the armor piercing projectile. In such a projectile there is no particular requirement for hardness and the method of attaching the cap to the nose is simpler, a screw thread, for instance, sufiicing for the purpose.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a projectile with a non-metallic windshield.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel means for attaching a windshield to a projectile.

The windshield of the invention is to be distinguished from plastic fuse casings and other plastic caps forming a part of th projectile or shell itself, which devices have not proved of great utility in ordnance practise. The cap of the invention is an addendum superimposed on a complete projectile for the purpose of increasing the amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 2 length while maintaining the general form without unduly increasing the weight, and it has met with considerable success in its employment. The device functions satisfactorily and permits release to other uses of the vital materials such as aluminum ordinarily employed.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in axial section of an armor piercing projectile, and

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing a target practise projectile.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown in Figure 1 an armor piercing projectile I, a plastic windshield 2 and an adapter 3. The windshield may consist of molded Bakelite or any other of the known plastics, such as formaldehyde urea, cellulose derivatives, vinyl compounds, methacrylates, casein products and lignin. In addition to the prepared resins, natural resins may also be employed and the broad term non-metallic is intended to include, for example, such substances as hard and soft rubber, wood, paper and. leather, and in general any organic or fibrous material. Preferably the windshield will consist of a cotton-filled phenolic or any medium-impact phenol-formaldehyde compound.

The windshield 2 has a general ogival form exteriorly and an axial recess comprising a cylindrical, threaded portion 4 for engaging a corresponding threaded shank on the adapter 3, a widened portion to receive the broad base 5 of the adapter 3 and a flared portion 6 toward the base to nest with the ogive of the projectile proper. The adapter 3 is soldered or brazed to the ogive of the projectile l as shown at l, and the windshield is then screwed onto the adapter. Between the broad base 5 and the shank of the adapter 3 is a shoulder l which forms a seat for a corresponding shoulder within the windshield 2. This shoulder furnishes a, supporting area to take up part of the setback force in pure compressional strain and tends to minimize complex stresses at the screw threads 4. The securement of the adapter may be conveniently accomplished by grinding the adapter into an intimate fit with the nose and then soldering as shown in U. S. Patent No. 651,969. The adapter has an axial bore 8 designed to reduce the mass thereof. This opening may be varied to control ballistics, either by varying the ballistics, or by maintaining the same when the material of the windshield or adapter is varied.

For a target practise projectile, a different mode of adaptation may be employed. Such a projectile i shown at 9 in Figure 2. Since in such a projectile there are no restrictions on the shape or hardness of the point, the latter may be formed with a fiat face I0 and drilled and threaded to receive a screw II. The windshield I2 is formed to fit the nose of the projectile and has an axial passage l3 countersunk as at M to receive the head of the screw II. Thus, the provision of a fiat tip on the projectile furnishes a means of readily attaching the windshield and also furnishes a large surface to take a major part of the setback force of the windshield without setting up complex strains in the windshield.

I claim? o 1. In combination, a projectile having an ogive, a metallic adapter having an axial bore and a flared portion united to the tip of the ogive, threads externally on the adapter, a non-metallic windshield with internal threads screwed onto the adapter and a flared portion seated on the ogive below the adapter.

2. In combination, a projectile having an ogive, a metallic adapter having a threaded shank portion, and a headed portion, a shoulder between said headed portion and said shank portion, an axial bore in said adapter having a flared portion nesting with and united to said ogive, and

a non-metallic windshield threaded onto said shank and having a shoulder complementary to the shoulder of said adapter and resting thereon, and a flared portion nesting with the said ogive rearward of the said adapter.

3. In combination, a projectile comprising an 'ogive having a flat faced nose protruding from the line of the ogive and a non-metallic windshield with an opening in the base receiving the said nose, a flat bottom in said opening in contact with the fiat face of said nose, and flared side walls in said opening nesting with the sides of the ogive.

4. In the combination, as in claim 3, fastening means between said windshield and the ogive.

5. In the combination as in claim 3, an axial opening in said windshield with a countersunk portion at the tip thereof, a screw through said opening and threaded axially into said ogive, the

head of said screw being received in said countersunk portion.

ALFRED F. TEIISCHEID. 

